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Federal Agency Accidentally Leaves Explosive Material On Va. School Bus

(REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

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Steve Birr Vice Reporter
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A federal agency accidentally left bomb-making material on a public school bus in Loudoun County, Virginia after using the vehicle for training exercises.

An employee in the county transportation department reportedly found the material Wednesday during a routine maintenance check. Officials in Loudoun County said roughly 26 students from a local high school and two elementary schools rode the bus during its normal operations Monday and Tuesday before officials discovered the material, reports Fox 5.

After the maintenance official found the explosive material, authorities were quickly called and determined it to be harmless. Officials said it had not been assembled, rendering it benign.

Authorities are not expounding on the nature of the explosive material left on the school bus. A federal agency reportedly parked the bus in the parking lot of a local high school for the exercise, before returning it to county officials for weekday operations. The Loudoun County Sheriffs Department dispatched officers to the scene after the material was discovered and released a statement on the ordeal, reports WJLA.

“During the training exercise the bus was parked at Briar Woods High School,” read the LCPS statement. “The bus was in service Monday and Tuesday, serving Rock Ridge High School, and Buffalo Trail and Pinebrook Elementary schools. This evening [Wednesday], LCPS officials are attempting to contact parents of students who might have ridden the bus while the training material was on board.”

Schools officials immediately contacted parents of students who rode the bus in the past few days to inform them of the occurrence. It is unclear at this time which federal agency is to blame for leaving the explosive material after the training exercise, reports Inside Nova.

“The explosive training material was in a benign state and could not be activated through normal operation of the bus,” Loudoun County Public School officials told parents in an email. “Loudoun County Public Schools’ Safety and Security Office is in communication with the Sheriff’s Office and federal officials regarding this matter.”

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